1 Million Dollars in 365 days…

Here I am, about to run a marathon in just over 2 weeks. My purpose - to raise $10,000 for Stop the Traffik. This is something I feel very passionately about. I rallied for support, and found it difficult to understand why others didn’t share my passion in supporting this amazing organisation that dedicates themselves to bring an end to people trafficking all around the globe.

<<<<<<<<<<To Sponsor me now - please visit www.justgiving.com/ryankilfoil >>>>>>>>>>

Then it hit me. The reason I am so passionate about this charity, is because I know what they do, the difference they make. So that’s what I’m going to do right now. I’m going to educate you about Stop the Traffik, and how people trafficking is still alive and kicking in almost every country in the world…So please, take a moment to read this. To understand what we are allowing to happen in our world.

What is STOP THE TRAFFIK?
STOP THE TRAFFIK is a global movement working to combat the fastest growing global crime, people trafficking. Around the world men, women and children are being treated as commodities—something to be bought, sold, and enslaved.

STOP THE TRAFFIK has more than 1000 member organisations in 50 countries & a grass roots following of ordinary activists around the world. Some of us sign petitions, wear symbols of the campaign, spread the message, and some of us show our support through adapting our lifestyles.

They believe that when people act things change. And I do too.

Real Life Trafficking:

“Masud was 12. His parents were persuaded, tricked, to let him be taken from his home in Bangladesh to a new life in England. He was sold - ‘Trafficked’

He left his family home with an unknown man who travelled with him to London then onto the South West where he was abandoned in an Indian restaurant. To survive he worked in the restaurants living in small store rooms, sleeping next to jars of chutney and bags of onions. Sometimes when there was no work he was forced to sleep on the streets. He was not able to go to school and his life was controlled by the restaurant owners.

When he was 28, with the help of STOP THE TRAFFIK he contacted the local police and immigration team who helped him to obtain a passport and identity documents, resulting in him being able to return the Bangladesh to obtain a UK visa and to be reunited with his family.

Masud is now living legally in the UK. He is married and is building a new life away from the restaurants.”

Stories like Masud’s are happening all the time, making People Trafficking the world’s fastest growing illegal trade.

So I thought we were pretty isolated here in little old New Zealand, surely we don’t get this sort of nonsense here? It turns out that I was wrong:

“A graphic US Government report on modern slavery has accused New Zealand of being a “destination country” for the trafficking of women for sex from Malaysia, Hong Kong and China [for some reason Vietnamese women are not mentioned in the report….read the full story“

 Fairfax Media | Thursday, 05 June 2008

“New Zealand immigration officials admit that women could be working undetected as sex slaves in New Zealand, the Weekend Herald reported on Saturday.  The Cabinet will be asked to set up a taskforce involving seven government departments to stop human trafficking in this country…read the full story”

April 04, 2009 The New Zealand Herald

So make a decision right now. Take this knowledge and do something about it. Or do nothing. This is your chance to make a difference. Please help me support this organisation, by sponsoring me for my Marathon in 2 weeks:

<<<<<<<<<<To Sponsor me now - please visit www.justgiving.com/ryankilfoil >>>>>>>>>> 

Thank you for your support. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Ryan Kilfoil